My omission from Pakistan team was unfair, says Ahmed Shehzad

Out of favour Pakistani opening batsman, Ahmed Shehzad, has dismissed claims that he is an ill-disciplined cricketer and vowed to make a comeback to the national team by performing in the domestic cricket of Pakistan.
Shehzad was dropped from the national team after Pakistan’s tour of West Indies earlier this year because of disciplinary reasons.
The right-handed batsman came through the ranks of junior cricket in the country, and since the beginning of his career, has faced criticism over his behaviour and attitude.
Shehzad has been fined a number of times by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as well. However, PCB lost patience earlier this year and dropped him from the national team.
The former manager of Pakistan team, Intikhab Alam, stated that Shehzad is a talented cricketer but he hails from a disturbed family background, which is the reason why he is not able to cope with the work ethics of professional cricket.
However, the young cricketer from Lahore does not agree with the criticism and claims that he has never gone against the code of conduct stipulated by the PCB.
Shehzad admitted that he has faced some torrid times after being dropped from Pakistan team but said that a number of people have supported him during this time and he is really thankful to them. He further claimed that he has learnt from his mistakes and now is looking for a bright future ahead.
Shehzad said, “I don’t agree with the image that some are attempting to portray of me. A lot of people have supported me through these difficult times and I’m very grateful to them. In life you have good and bad times and in my opinion it’s all about learning from the bad times for the future.”
The opening batsman is very confident about his ability to deliver the goods at the International level and he looks to build on the impressive start.
“I made two international centuries at such a young age within the space of a couple of months and then came back to the Twenty20 side where I did well. I have a lot of faith in my ability,” he added.

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Misbah-ul-Haq proves his worth in the ODI series against West Indies

After the World Cup semi-final loss to India at Mohali, there were many who stressed on axing Misbah-ul-Haq from the squad. Despite the odds, Pakistan’s middle-order batsman has gone a long way to redeem himself with his match-winning performances in the One Day International series against West Indies so far.
His slow style of batting was the reason many had turned against Misbah after the semi-final defeat, but the batsman seems more at home in the ongoing ODI series.
Pakistan’s batting is prone to collapsing and Misbah’s style, although criticized has helped the side in winning matches in the current series. Though he may not play a big inning, his ability to stay on the crease has helped his side out of a tight spot on more than the one occasion.
Against India in the inaugural T20 World Championship final, Misbah was the one batsman who gave his side any hope of winning the fixture. The fact is that Misbah has taken responsibility for his side many a time and that means that if Pakistan loses, Misbah is often the scapegoat.
In the ongoing ODI series against West Indies, Misbah is proving his worth for the Pakistan side. Currently the squad’s highest run scorer in the series, Misbah has hit 178 runs in three matches. His average of 59.33 goes a long way in showing his consistency with the bat.
While the ‘Man of the Match’ award went to opening batsman Muhammad Hafeez in the first ODI for his half century, it was Misbah-ul-Haq’s well-constructed unbeaten 73 runs, which eventually helped Pakistan achieve the target. While not as exciting as Hafeez’s innings, it was far more crucial in keeping the game in reach for the visitors.
The second ODI belonged to Ahmed Shehzad, who rightfully stole all the headlines for his mature and well-composed century. The veteran batsman guided the youngster through the innings, before ultimately lifting Pakistan to a victory himself, with an unbeaten 43-run knock. The fact that surprised everyone was that Misbah managed to maintain a strike rate of 100.00 during his innings.
It would not come as a surprise if reports of Misbah-ul-Haq’s fans, who could not cope after witnessing the match-winning innings, had to be rushed to hospital.
It was in third ODI in which the batsman proved his worth in the Pakistani squad. Men in Green did well to bowl West Indies out for a small total of 171 runs. Chasing the target, Pakistan were in deep trouble at one stage during the match.
After an early collapse from the top-order, Misbah-ul-Haq began the rebuilding process and steadied the ship for Pakistan. Linking up with Umar Akmal and Hammad Azam, the batsman led his side to a more stable position.
Misbah had a total of six batting partnerships in the match and his unbeaten 62-run knock, was the backbone of the Pakistan innings.
Misbah-ul-Haq has not lost his wicket in the three matches of the series so far. The Pakistan batsman seems at home in the ODI version of the game. One can expect more of the same from the backbone of the Pakistan innings in future. With the current form the team is in, Pakistan should be able to continue their winning run and secure the series in style.

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PAKISTAN V WEST INDIES - 3RD ODI - SECOND INNINGS REPORT

Pakistan defeated the West Indians with three wickets and 29 balls to spare in the third match of the One Day International (ODI) series at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados. 

After winning the toss Pakistan again opted to field first. The match was reduced to a 45-over affair due to rain.

The West Indians were able to post 171 runs on the board, Lendl Simmons’ knock was the highlight of their innings with 51 off 80.

Darren Bravo’s 47 was the other knock that saved the West Indians from utter humiliation.

Apart from the two, only three batsmen managed to reach double figures while none managed to score above 20. The Windies collapsed completely with 171 runs on the board after 43.4 overs.

Pakistan in pursuit, started their innings with their regular openers, Muhammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad.

Shehzad who was praised for his ton in the last ODI of the series, went out on a duck this time as Simmons pouched one off Rampaul’s bowling.

The one-down batsman Asad Shafiq, has been playing exceptionally well since the World Cup, however, he could not open his account today either and went back to the pavilion after being caught in the slip region on the very first ball.

Muhammad Hafeez then joined the rest in the pavilion after scoring just 5 runs. He was dismissed by Rampaul as well, edging one to Simmons, who made no mistake. Pakistan ended up losing their top three batsmen for just 12 runs.

However, Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal took charge of the middle order. The two provided much needed stability to their side.

They duo provided 37 runs for the fourth wicket. The partnership was broken once again by Rampaul when Simmons caught another victim, Umar Akmal. He made 30 runs from 27 balls and smashed five boundaries.

After Akmal, the rookie Hammad Azam came into the middle in a high pressure situation, however, he coped with the pressure exceptionally well. He supported his senior partner Misbah while the two provided a solid partnership of 78 runs.

Hammad had to head back when he was controversially adjudged leg before wicket, however, he had made 36 crucial runs from 64 balls smashing one boundary and a six.

Misbah on the other hand, completed his half century and remained unbeaten till the very end. After Hammad, the Skipper Shahid Afridi was the next man in. The skipper came and went between 8 balls, scoring 11 runs.

Mohammad Salman was up after Afridi and he too went back just as quickly, scoring 3 runs off 9 balls.

Towards the end, the fast bowler Wahab Riaz stood with Misbah as the two took their team to victory.Pakistan finally ended up winning the match with 3 wickets in hand and 29 balls to spare.

Pakistan now leads the five match ODI series with three victories.

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PCB CHIEF SELECTOR MOHSIN KHAN PRAISES TEAM PERFORMANCE IN WEST INDIES

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief selector, Mohsin Khan, has praised the way the national team is performing during its ongoing tour to West Indies.

After 2 matches, the Men in Green are leading the series 2-0 and look set to clinch the five-match One Day International (ODI) series by winning the third one on April 28, 2011.

The former cricketer said that Pakistan has been performing exceptionally well in the ongoing West Indies tour.

He said that Pakistan has shown great confidence and momentum, even after their defeat in the semi-final of the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2011. He is hopeful that the entire team will play consistently in the remainder of the series.

While addressing the media, Mohsin stated, “It is great pleasure to see that the team played the first two ODIs with a game-plan, showing improvement in batting, bowling and fielding departments”.

The PCB Chief Selector is of the view that the current Windies series has given a platform to the young players to prove themselves in the field of cricket. It will also benefit them in their future career, he added.

While talking about the players, Mohsin appreciated the young middle-order batsman, Asad Shafiq, and opening batsman, Ahmad Shehzad, for their performances in the first two One Day Internationals (ODI).

Mohsin exclaimed, “Asad is showing improvement every passing day, as far as maturity is concerned, and Ahmed, after his failure in the World Cup, got another chance, and his century in the second ODI was a responsible knock. He will be very useful for the team if he continues his good performance”.

Former batsman also praised senior players such as captain, Shahid Afridi, vice captain Misbah ul Haq and opener, Mohammad Hafeez, for their performances in the series. He hoped that the same work would continue until the end.

Meanwhile, Mohsin also praised the spinners of the team and said they were doing a fantastic job on the slow wickets of West Indies.

The third and fourth matches of the series will be played on April 28 and May 2 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. The last and final match of the series will be played on May 5 at the Guyana National Stadium.

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Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammed Hafeez: West Indies vs. Pakistan - Batsmen to watch out for - 3rd ODI

Pakistan need just one more win from the remaining three One Day Internationals (ODI) against the West Indies, to secure a series win against the hosts. Let us take a look at the Pakistani batsmen, who have put up a good show in the tournament so far.
The team has shown an uncharacteristic depth in their batting on an individual level, with three batsmen reaching their half-centuries and one scoring a match-winning hundred.
One has to wonder that which Pakistani batsman the West Indian bowlers need to target.
Mohammed Hafeez
After plenty of experimentation to determine an opening batsman for Pakistan, the Men in Green seem to have at least half of the problem sorted out, with Mohammed Hafeez having earned himself a permanent spot as the side’s permanent opener.
Hafeez has been a revelation for the team, putting in consistent performances. While he does not go on to score big hundreds as often as he should, Hafeez has put an end to the early wicket collapse that had plagued Pakistan over the years.
His performance in the ODI series has been impressive so far, as he has helped his side to get-off to strong starts in both matches in the series.
Scoring a solid 54 runs off a relatively quick pace having faced just 45 deliveries, Hafeez gave the Men in Green the start they needed in the first ODI at Beausejor Stadium. The performance set-up the platform for Pakistan, as it allowed other batsmen to play their natural game.
Hafeez scored 32 runs in the second match, lifting the opening partnership to 66 runs. His confident starts have helped the team to build on a platform, which helps their middle-order batsmen later in the innings.
Hafeez is a solid opening batsman and a worry for the West Indies bowlers. His bowling ability adds advantage to his natural game, as he is also a very useful off-spinner.
Ahmed Shehzad
After a torrid World Cup campaign, Ahmed Shehzad has put in the kind of composed performance that could make him a regular in the Pakistani squad.
Shehzad struggled slightly in the first ODI, when he was not able to get his innings going and lost his wicket after scoring 22 runs. The important thing though, was that he stood along with Hafeez for a 68-run opening partnership.
The batsman truly came into his own when he scored a match-winning 102 runs, in the second ODI. Shehzad remained composed and never looked to rush his innings, as he led his side to a comfortable second win against West Indies.
West Indies bowlers will be wary of Shehzad, as he looks to be the man-in-form who has the capability to come up with another match-winning performance.

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Darren Sammy disappointed with West Indies in St. Lucia, Shahid Afridi aims to seal series in Barbados

The West Indian and Pakistani captains were obviously in different moods after the second match of the five-match One Day International (ODI) series between the two teams.

The match played at Gros Islet in St.Lucia was won comfortably by the visitors, who have now taken a 2-0 lead in the series, the West Indians were ordinary with the bat and insipid with the ball, as the Men in Green cantered home to a 7-wicket win on a good batting track.

Sammy, who has been under fire from cricketing pundits in the region, stated that his team needs to improve their performance by leaps and bounds if they are to compete and make a comeback in the series. He thinks that the batsmen have let the team down in the first two games, as they failed to make good use of batting conditions scoring 221 and 220 runs only in the two innings.

He also felt that the bowlers failed to tighten their grip around the batsmen despite a low score on the board. He added that a major blip in the performance is needed if the West Indians are to fight back and make things tough for the Pakistan team.

"We could have tried to squeeze their batsmen more and when we batted we got a good start, but did not capitalize on it", Sammy said. "We weren't rolled over today. We kept ourselves in the match right to the finish. There were moments when things could have gone either way, but we didn't make it happen. We have to find a way to win those tight situations. We have to win in Barbados to stay alive in the series, so we have to grab our chances".

On the other hand, the Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi is happy with the performance of his team in the first two games. He praised the "discipline" shown by his side and added that his team has a specific plan for the second match and fortunately they succeeded in sticking to it and reaped the rewards with a comfortable win.

Afridi feels that it was a complete team effort that helped his side and if the boys continued to play with the same purpose and commitment they were set to pocket the series in the third ODI that is to be played in Barbados.

"We made a plan at our team meeting and our guys stuck to it and that was good", Afridi said. "I think our bowlers are doing a great job, and the fielding has improved because it is a very important area for us. Our batting has shown responsibility and we hope to maintain this discipline right throughout the series".

The man known as BOOM BOOM for his big hitting ability added that the team has reaped rewards of the hard work that they put in the World Cup and during the training camp set prior to the tour of West Indies.

Another encouraging thing for Afridi is the performance of his opening batsmen, Ahmed Shehzad, who posted his second century of the year and his career to take the team through to the victory target.

Shehzad was under intense pressure after an ordinary World Cup but repaid the faith shown in him by the selection panel and Afridi himself, who requested the selectors to include him in the team for the tour, as he had faith in his abilities with the bat.

The third ODI would be played on 27th April in Kensington Oval, Barbados.

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PAKISTAN LOOK TO BEAT WEST INDIES WITH A COMPREHENSIVE MARGIN

Pakistan defeated West Indies by an impressive margin of seven wickets in the second One Day International match between the two countries, played in St Lucia, on April 25, 2011.

As a result, the visitors now have a formidable 2-0 lead in the five-match series and look set to build on the advantage, considering the lack of quality in the West Indian ranks.

Both teams have opted to test their young guns in this series, which is a positive sign for both countries as some new players have performed well in the first two matches.

Men in Green bowled well once again in the second match and did not give anything away to the Caribbean batsmen. Afridi is continuing on his strategy to rely heavily on spinners, a plan which has worked very well for the team until now.

Spin trio of Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez tied down the home team’s batsmen once again and shared six wickets between them in the second ODI. Such is the strength of Pakistan’s spin bowling, that left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman is not able to break into the playing eleven.

Junaid Khan has failed to pick up a wicket in the series so far, but he bowled an impressive spell with the new ball and was hitting his mark from the very first ball. He is very much similar to Mohammad Amir in his approach and looks to be an exciting prospect for Pakistan cricket.

Another positive for Pakistan was Ahmed Shehzad’s return to form, as he scored a slow century but made sure his side does not face any kind of a collapse in the run-chase. He is an exciting young prospect for the team and analysts expect him to take on the batting line-up’s burden, along with Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq.  

West Indies, on the other hand, would be happy with the performance of some of their younger players like Devendra Bishoo and Lendl Simmons. Despite the inclusion of young blood, the Board might have to reconsider their policy of dropping all senior batsmen at once.

Dropping the likes of Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan, might not be the right tactic to adopt, as the West Indies Cricket Board should make best use of their experience and class.

Caribbean cricket fans would be hoping that their premier pacemen Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards get fit soon, as their team is desperately looking for bowlers who can take wickets at regular intervals. Apart from Bishoo, no West Indian bowler has been able to make an impression in the series so far.

It would take a huge effort from this West Indian team to dismantle Pakistan in the ODI series, as the visitors look all set to win this series with a comprehensive margin.

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AFRIDI IS THE MAN TO FOLLOW BELIEVES AHMED SHEHZAD

Pakistan's young gun, Ahmed Shehzad scored a ton and led his side to victory in the 2^nd One Day International between Pakistan and West Indies in St Lucia on 25 April, 2011.

Speaking at the match presentation after being named the Player of the Match, Shehzad stated that the skipper, Afridi was the man to follow.

Describing Afridi as an astonishing captain, the right-hand batsman expressed his faith in the skipper’s ability to lead the Men in Green through turbulent times.

Shehzad has been retained in the national side despite his unimpressive performance throughout the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. He also acknowledged the support of his captain and the team management in this regard.

The 19-year old cricketer said, “I would like to thank team management for supporting me, Vicky bhai (Waqar Younis), Aaqib Javed, and Shahid bhai. He (Afridi) is the man to follow, he has been astonishing, if we follow him he will take us through. The wicket was on the slower side, I knew if we kept the wickets, we will do it.”

Shehzad put forth a redeeming 102 run knock off 148 deliveries which included seven fours and one six. The ton was his second One Day International century.

Afridi in return, also complimented Shehzad on his performance. The skipper acknowledged Shehzad’s poor record in the past but praised his comeback.

“Shehzad is a very talented guy who performed well in New Zealand tour. He didn't do well in World cup, he took some time, its ok he took time but he finished the game. The management has been supporting him,” said Afridi.

The skipper further expressed his satisfaction with how the team was following the game plan and performing as expected.

After losing the first Twenty20 match against the Windies, the Green Shirts bounced back with two consecutive wins.

The Men in Green have been on a roll, performing well in One Day Internationals. They reached the Semi-Finals of 2011 ICC World Cup and prior to that, had won the ODI series in New Zealand.

Spinners have been Pakistan’s weapon of choice against the young West Indian side. The 2^nd ODI saw the spin trio of Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal share six wickets between them.

The West Indian skipper Darren Sammy had asserted earlier that his side needed to work hard in the nets to face the Pakistani spinners.

The third match of the series will be played on Thursday, 28 April, 2011 at Bridgetown. If Pakistan wins the match they will have an unassailable lead in the series.

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PAKISTAN V WEST INDIES - SECOND INNINGS REPORT

Pakistan has defeated West Indies in the first One Day International (ODI) of five ODIs series by a huge margin of eight wickets with 51 balls to spare. The match was played at Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia on 23 April 2011.

Pakistan after winning the first ODI against the Caribbean, lead the series by 1-0.

West Indies after winning the toss opted to bat first and posted a mere target of 222 runs for Pakistan to chase.

Pakistan, in pursuit of the target, started their innings with their openers Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad.

Both the openers played exceptionally well and responsibly. They played shots all around the wicket and pushed the ball into the gaps, punishing the loose ones to the boundary.

They provided Pakistan with a blistering start of 68 runs for the first wicket partnership.

The blazing partnership came to an end when Shehzad was stumped by CS Baugh off the bowling of D Bishoo. He made only 22 runs off 39 balls hitting four boundaries.

On the other hand the second opener Hafeez completed his half century and scored 54 runs off 45 balls hitting seven boundaries and a six.

Hafeez was caught at short mid-wicket by the opposition Skipper Darren Sammy off the bowling of D Bishoo.

After the openers fell, Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq played a remarkable innings and built a solid partnership.

Asad Shafiq proved that he is fully capable of playing Test as well as one day cricket, he only supported his senior partner Misbah but also played strokes by himself and reached the half century milestone.

Similarly Misbah also responsibly, completed his half century and took Pakistan to their first triumph in the five match series by eight wickets.

Misbah and Asad Shafiq both reached their fifties and remained unbeaten during the successful chase.

Mohammad Hafeez was declared Man of the Mach for his fifty with the bat and one wicket with the ball.

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SHAHID AFRIDI EXPRESSES FAITH IN AHMED SHEHZAD’S ABILITIES

Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has backed young opener Ahmed Shehzad and said that he is still young and is expected to perform well in their tour to West Indies.

After Pakistan’s ouster at the hands of India in the semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2011, the national selectors decided to draft some new players in the squad. However, Afridi said that wholesale changes cannot be made in the side.

“All the seniors cannot be replaced at once but a blend of youth and experience would be taken along. Young crickets performed very well in the World Cup and after West Indies more youngsters will be included in the team for the Zimbabwe tour,” said Afridi.

Afridi said that he has taken over the captaincy role with an aim of improving the image of Pakistan cricket and with the assistance of the Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ijaz Butt, has taken steps to make the team number one in the world.

Under Afridi’s captaincy, Pakistan reached the semi-final stage of the ICC World Cup 2011. Afridi led from the front and was the top wicket-taker of the tournament by claiming 21 wickets along with India’s Zaheer Khan.

While answering a question regarding Abdul Razzaq’s statement of not being used properly in the World Cup, Afridi said that all the players were utilised properly so Razzaq should be satisfied.

Talking about his Test career, Afridi said that his playing style does not suit the format and there are quite a few talented players in domestic cricket who can fill his place.

Looking at Pakistan’s poor batting performance in the recently concluded mega event, the skipper and selectors decided to appoint former legendry batsman, Javed Miandad as batting coach ahead of the West Indies tour. However, Miandad said that he would take up the responsibility after the tour since he did not feel he had enough time to prepare the team.

Pakistan’s tour to the Caribbean includes one Twenty20 international, two Test matches and five One Day Internationals. It officially gets underway on 21 April, 2011 with the only Twenty20 at Gros Islet.

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